Brandon Acker (b. 1990) is a widely known musician, educator, and content creator recognized for his artistry, versatility, and passion for historical and classical music. He specializes in classical guitar and early plucked instruments such as theorbo, archlute, and Baroque guitar. With over 630,000 YouTube subscribers and 70 million views, he is one of the most-watched classical guitar and lute players on the internet.
As an educator, Brandon founded Arpeggiato, an online music school specializing in “all things that go pluck!” He has also produced several online classical guitar courses with more than 2,500 students enrolled. His performance career spans from early roots in rock guitar to international tours on historical instruments, performing repertoire from the Baroque period.
He has performed with ensembles such as Apollo’s Fire, the Handel and Haydn Society, the Breathtaking Collective with Bruce Dickey, the Joffrey Ballet, the Newberry Consort, and Haymarket Opera Company. Brandon was a laureate in the 2020 Indiana Early Music concerto competition and won first place in the Society of American Musicians competition in 2010.
His recordings include A Wanderer’s Guitar(Schubert lieder arranged for voice and guitar), Corelli Op. 5 Violin Sonatas with Rachel Barton Pine, and Strung Up, featuring minimalist works for harp and guitar. His lute playing also appears on popular video game soundtracks, including Civilization VI, Civilization VII, and Total War: Warhammer III.
Major Venues & Festivals Played
Highlights of Brandon's performance career